National Railroad Museum: Worth Every Penny of Admission

[transitguard]

Though this may seem a little off topic, I just got back from the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I unfortunately didn't get any pictures (forgot the *^&# camera at home). I must say that if you are in the area it is definitely something to check out. They've got a Big Boy, a US Army Pershing Class steam locomotive, an A4 Pacific, a GG1, several interesting dioramas, and many outdoor exhibits (including cars and locomotives, both steam and diesel). Many of the cabs can be viewed or entered and many of the cars can be entered in the indoor and outdoor exhibits. I must say that if you are in the area it is definitely something to check out.

 

[davesnow]

I just returned from the Illinois Railway Museum, supposedly the LARGEST railroad museum in the USA, and I wasn't overly impressed. Sure, they have a LOT of locomotives, but NOWHERE can you actually go INTO a cab or even get close to a look inside. Many of the locomotives are rusty and in bad need of repair.

I walked through one LONNNNNGGG building and passed one steam loco after another... LOTS of steam locos, but they just seem to be sitting there, crammed in the building. No upkeep.

The place seemed very un-organized. The gift shop, while large, was sloppy and unorganized. There was a used book store with lots of old back issue railroad & train magazines, but, again, with virtually no organization. If you needed a specific back issue, your only recourse would be just to start looking through EVERYTHING!

Most of the passenger cars were OFF LIMITS to any inside inspection. You just have to be content to view the outside.

And another thing. . . FINDING the museum was relatively easy, but returning back to the main highway was almost impossible. We got lost three or four times. Apparently, the Illinois highway department needs some of the Stimulus money so they can make some badly needed highway signs. We drove on several roads and highways that, for miles and miles, had no signs telling you what highway you were on.

The best part of our vacation was the Railroad Park at Rochelle, Illinois! I spent hours watching the big UP and BNSF locos roar by, and at the same time, met many Railfans from all over the country and world. Rochelle's Railroad Park is definitely worth a trip. And the Butterfly Restaurant in Rochelle cannot be beat!!!

 

[transitguard]

That's the thing that impressed me so much about the museum in Green Bay. All of the equipment on display indoors was in great condition and of the ones displayed out doors, most of them were in good condition. You know, minor rusting and fading on the ones not protected by a shed, but kept up for the most part.

 

[springtransit]

That's what amazed me with the RR Museum of PA! I'm sure the NRM is quite spectacular, but I never been so I wouldn't know.
It's really hard to justify what is a National Railroad Museum in the US. While I'm sure the Wisconsin NRM has examples of many good US locos and rolling stock(with a nice taste of European ones as well!), but many of the engines and such that are worthy of being in such a museum are dispersed throughout the country.

My point is that in the US, there seems to be more focus on railway museums on a regional scale as opposed to a national one.

 

[transitguard]

Which is both good and bad. While it disperses the "artifacts" so more people can see them. If a person want to see them all you have to travel a lot.

 

[springtransit]

While the US has it's "National Railroad Museum" in Wisconsin, I personally think the Smithsonian could also be considered a "National Railway Museum" as well. For one thing, it's in the nation's capital. And while it may not be as much focused on trains as is the Green Bay museum, or most other such museums across the country, it nonetheless has the country's railroad history well documented, as well as possessing some very good examples of American locomotive practice!

 

[SR6900]

I've seen much better

I thought that the "National Railway Museum" was terrible. Sure the stuff inside was nice. But everything else, even that under shelter wasn't in great condition. None of it looked too good. There are many, many more museums in the US that has most of it's pieces looking great. RRMPA was previously mentioned, a spectacularly maintained collection. At TVRM, there's so much that looks awesome as well as steam locomotives that actually operate (NRM uses a "steamer" with GE 44 tonner internals stuffed in the tender). Most of the stuff in the collection is operable and is used quite regularly. Another great example is Maine Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. There's just so many more that are hundreds of times better than National Railway Museum. I absolutely hate that it has that name rather than a museum that actually represents railroading in the US.

 

[transitguard]

According to the others here, NRM's spectacular if you can't afford to go gallivanting across the country to visit a museum and happen to be near Green Bay.

When were you there? From what I've heard they did some work there recently.

As for the name, I think it comes from the variety of historic locomotives from the Big Boy to the Dwight D. Eisenhower. Unfortunately many museums don't inherit a world class facility. People like me are just thrilled that the steamers under the shelter survived the scrapper.

Yeah, I saw the steamer that was mutilated with the GE engine. Sad to see.

 

[SR6900]

I went last year. A lot of the stuff I saw they were getting rid of or scrapping. The work was still going on for the Pullman exhibit, which they had advertised as open for over a year before.

 

[transitguard]

When I was there the Pullman exhibit was open and most things seemed in a stable state.